Dear fellow developers,
I would hereby kindly ask you (once again) to consider more
coordination with the i18n teams when preparing uploads for packages
when these introduce changes to debconf templates: either new
templates, modified ones (even for trivial changes), etc.
The i18n teams are currently working hard to try getting fully
translated templates for several languages and each time such
uncoordinated action happens, we enter yet another loop for the said
package:
- review the templates (in debian-l10n-english)
- coordinated the review with the maintainer
- call for translations
- coordinated them
- track the transition to testing.
During last weeks, several package maintainers did such changes
(ledgersmb, icinga, pleiades, uptimed, nginx, nova and, last but not
least, screen).
I have no intent to discuss the NEED for such user interaction, often
in solving release critical bugs. But, really, I would like to call
for more consideration for the work we're doing. Often, these debconf
interactions are strongly needed and there is no reasons for our users
for not having them in their language and not only in (often bad) English.
Just like I did for squeeze, I am considering to ask our release team
to *block* transitions for such packages with uncoordinated debconf
changes, on a case by case basis. This, in order to give us enough
time to work on localization.
And, for ${DEITY}'s sake, please now limit debconfing to really really
really really needed interaction.
For this, also, please remember that we're preparing a release and
that takes time to settle down.
Many thanks in advance for your consideration. Any many thanks as well
to those of you who are *already* properly interacting with the i18n
teams. You know who you are and you deserve kudos.
--